Natural Ripening versus Artificial Enhancing of Silty Reclaimed Tidal Soils for Upland Cropping Tested by Profile Characterization

This study was performed to produce basic data for silty reclaimed tidal lands and to develop techniques of environmentally-friendly utilization in agricultural system. We chose the two sites in Saemangeum reclaimed tidal lands, one (Site Ⅰ) has been treated with cultivating green manure and conducting the desalinization process through submergence since April, 2007 and the other (Site Ⅱ) has been under natural condition without artificial treatment. In situ and ex situ physic-chemical properties were determined and comparisons were made for soil profiles examined at these two sites in April 2009. Surface soil of Site Ⅰ had lower EC and higher field saturated hydraulic conductivity than those of Site Ⅱ, uncultivated land. Especially, exchangeable sodium content was lowest in Site Ⅰ Ap1 layer than in other layers. This is probably due to flooding desalination and green manure cultivation. Besides, Ap1 and A2 layers of soil profile in Site Ⅰ showed brighter soil color and more root observation than those of Site Ⅱ. This is probably due to green manure cultivation. By the large, for high cash upland crops and intensive agricultural use of silty reclaimed tidal land, site-specific soil ripening such as flooding desalination and green manure cultivation could be useful.